Six Degrees: From Aunt March to Rachel Lynde

What a ways we have come in our Six Degrees adventures! Through fantasy and sci-fi to historical fiction and drama and philosophical and so much more! And what do all these books have in common? They are linked by their characters. I don't know about you, but one of the main reasons I enjoy reading is because I enjoy meeting new characters. Good plots and story lines and good writing are all important, of course, but for me, none of those things can outweigh a really good character. My favorite books are the ones where all those things come together, but characters are for me what make and break a story.Last week, DJ linked from Pride and Prejudice to Little Women, and we're going to stick with that sort of historical, classic genre for another week, because when he described Aunt March as, "a rich old widow with a crotchety disposition. She values high society and improving one’s position and feels that her relatives have no concern for money and will ultimately end up in poverty." it made me think of another kind of crotchety character: Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables. Though Rachel isn't rich or concerned with wealth, she is kind of grumpy and easily offended and tends to care far more about everyone else's business than she ought to. Something about Aunt March just reminded me of her... and perhaps a little bit of Aunt Josephine, who is very wealthy, though quite a dear once you get to know her.The main character of this delightful book, of course, is also the titular character: Anne Shirley. An orphan who has never known a true family, Anne's spirit is nonetheless unquenchable. She is passionate and fiery, loving and hating things with equal vim and vigor. She loves books and has an extremely active imagination. She longs for beauty and romance and sparkle in her life, and manages to find them in very ordinary, hum drum places and people.When Anne is accidentally adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert (who are siblings, they never married) who are getting a bit older and wanted to adopt a boy to help Matthew with the farm-work, Anne is certain that life is looking up. Despite the mistake, Marilla and Matthew decide to give Anne a chance. Matthew, who is quiet, reserved, and painfully shy, takes a shine to this little fluttering creature with her endless words who never makes him feel like he needs to talk to fill any awkward silences, and informs Marilla that though Anne is not what they wanted, perhaps they might be of some good to this little motherless creature.Marilla is the opposite of her brother in many ways. Stern, demanding, and with no imagination (at least, she claims this is so) she keeps a pristine home and sets out to raise Anne "correctly." Despite her severity, we do get to glimpse that Marilla has a dry, witty sense of humor right from the beginning. And despite wanting to put forth a good appearance, we soon learn that Marilla cares very little what people think of her, and she has no qualms about standing up for what she believes is right, even if it means standing alone.Another character of note is Diana Barry. She and Anne become best friends soon after they meet. Diana is loyal and sweet, but not as imaginative or independent as Anne. She tempers Anne a little, but mostly gets swept up in Anne's whirlwind and agreeably goes along with her.Gilbert Blythe (perhaps one of my favorite characters ever) is a young boy about Anne's age. He becomes her lifelong rival when he teases her about her red hair, all unknowing that it is one of Anne's most sensitive features. Though Gilbert was just trying to get a rise out of her because he thought she was pretty, Anne takes his teasing very personally vows never to speak to him again... a vow of unforgiveness that she holds unswervingly to for years. They become competitors in school, but eventually their rivalry softens and they even become friends.There are several other characters in the story, but I think the only one of real noteworthiness is Miss Stacy. She becomes the teacher at Anne's school and has quite an unorthodox teaching style (she takes her students outdoors to study nature for science class and encourages them to read and write and imagine (gasp!!!!)) At first the school board and parents are a bit nervous about her, but Mrs. Stacy is beloved by all of her students and becomes a very important mentor in Anne's life, seeing Anne's potential and doing much to bring it out and polish it to perfection. Have you read Anne of Green Gables? Have you seen the movie? (I love the movie, and the sequel: Anne of Avonlea). What did you think of it? What's your favorite part? Do any of these characters remind you of characters from a different book? I'd love to hear from you, dear Reader!